Form for use in making box blanks



Oct. 23,1923. 1,471,558

, G. HOPKINS FORM FOR USE IN MAKING BOX BLANKS Filed March 12. 1921 MHLIMHH'Q Patented Get. 23,

entrees are eon-non HOPKINS, on olsrcaeo, ILtrnoIs,

* [lat-21. 58

asrsre iaon T0, NA'rioNA BOX COMPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 'A CORPORATION OF ILLINQIS some roe nsn IN MAKING BOX strin s. I

Application filed March 12, 1921. Serial No.451,9t)9.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GORDON Hornms, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of (lhicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Forms for Use in Making Box Blanks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing; 7

My invention relates to the art of making boxes or crates of the type made ofblanks composed of side strips orcleats connected by cross-pieces or panels of thin material, such as veneer. The cleats and panels constituting these blanks are usually secured together by stapling or stitching them, and they are usually made by the use of 'machines which feed the stock in such -manner that the panels are properly placed with reference to the cleats and arethenconducted to the stapling and stitching devices which secure them together. A machine of this character is shown and described in an application filed by Bert EQHill on September 17, 1920, Serial Ila- 411,010. In the use of such machines it is necessary that the cleats and panels be placed accuratelyand held in their proper relation to each other while they are moved along to the stapling devices, and for this purpose forms are em ployed which receive the stock with the cleats and panels in proper relation to each other and conduct them through the ma chine, and the object of my present -inven-. tion is to provide a new and improvedform for this purpose. I accomplish this object as illustrated in the drawings and herein- 5 after described. Vl hat I regard as new is 'set forth in the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Fig.1 is a plan' view of my. improve form;f

Fig, 2 is a'longitudin'al'section thereof on f v i bars 12 are providedwhichare spacedapart a distance equal to the widthof one of the panels and areremoved from the endporline 22 of Fig. 1;] I

1 Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line'3' -3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the boxblanks after the parts thereof have been secured together, and ithas been removed from the form.

My improved form comprises a rectangus lar frame 5 made by bending a strip of angle iron and welding the ends thereof together,

the horizontal fiange tl thereof being on the inside, By this arrangement said" flange forms ledges at the ends and sides 1 of the frame for supporting the cleats hereinafter referred to, and the vertical flanges serve as guidesto properlyposition the cleats. The side members of the frame 5 are reenforced by strips 8 which are secured to the vertical side flanges of the frameby rivets or in any .Which are secured to theunder sideof, the

end portions of the frame 5 at opposite sides of the center thereof. These stripsproject somewhatbelow the under surface of the frameandt'hey are adapted to frictionally engage an endless'belt which forms a part of the machine above referred to and oper-' ates to move the form along to the stapling.

devices, but perm-itsslippage' in case the form should encounter any obstacle which prevents it from; movingat the samespeed as the belt. 10indicates a centrally-disposed rack-bar which is al S cured to the end portionsof the frame 5 at the underside thereof and is adaptedto cooperatewith suitable ratchet mechanism by which the form is moved intermittently past the; stapling mechanism. As best shown in Fig. 2,:jsaid rack-bar is provided with a numberofteeth 11 which are properly-spaced so that the formwill come to rest when the stock carried by it is inproper position for the driving of1e'ach pair of staples.

12indicates cross-bars whichare disposed other suitable way, and said vertical flanges; are preferably bent inwardly so that theretransversely of the frame 5 and are secured -.to the sjtripsy9 by bolt s,screws or other suitif able means." The frame shownin the draw- 7 ings is designed for use; where; the blank) comprises two longitudinally-disposed cleats and three'panels, and, therefore,"twocrosstions of theframe 5 a distance approx: imatelyequal to the width of theendlpanels. Thus the three panels may beQfitted into the frame'at opposite sides of said crossbars.

I Asbest somewhat like a 'fishhook. Each-of these shownin the cross-bars. 12 ,7 are provided at their endswithrounded'heads 13 over which are disposed springs 14 shaped no r of which overlap the secured thereto by staples 19.

springs is provided with a shank lowhich fits upon and is secured to the cross-bar 12,

so that the rounded portion of the spring extends over the adjacenthead 1-3 and projects beyond it toward the adjacent side of the frame 5. The purpose of these spring is to press the cleats firmly against the vertical flanges at the sides of the. fragile 5 so that they will be held firmly in position. and, therefore, the springs are so arranged that they project laterally far enough to give them suflicient tension to do that work. It will be apparent that when a cleat is moveddown into the frame the projecting portions of the two springs at that side of the frame will be pressed back and put under tension, and, th'erefore..wiljl press the outer edge of the cleat tightly against the vertical flange at that side of the frame. The cleat may, howe'ver, be readily withdrawn by pulling it upward. hen the springs 14 become weakened to such an extent that they do not operate efficiently new ones may readily be substituted forthem by removing the cross-bar l2 and either changing the springs carried by it, or by applying a new crossbar equipped with 'spriigs to the frame 5.

In order that the fornrmay be handled conveniently and alsoto serve as guides for positioningthe end panels, U-shaped strips 16 are provided. at the ends of'the frame 5, said strips beingsecured to the inside faces of the vertical flanges at the ends of the frame, as shown in Fig.1. These strips are spaced with reference to the cross-bars 12 so that the panel fit nicely between them. The spaces between the said strips and the vertical flanges of the ends of the frame enable the operator to grasp the frame easily in handlingit.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a box blank made up of two l0ngitudinally-disposed cleats 17 and three panels 18 the ends cleats and are It will be noted that the panels are spaceda-part from each other;a'nd that theends. of; the cleats-project slightly beyond the outer end margins 'of the end panels; 7

In using my improved form on a ma chinesuch as that shown and described in said Hill application, the form is moved iunder two chu'tes or holders each containing a stack [of cleats and a single cleat is dropped 'to the space provided-at each side Yofthe form, resting upon the horizontal flanges thereof' In order to enable the cleats to moved'own freely into 'p'osition'on the form 1t is preferable to providesome automatic device, such 'as the rotary discs I described. in said application, for temporarily compressing the springs 14.1 although the cleats may be moi-*ed positively into 'posi tion if desired. When the cleats have been around the mar supplied to the form it is carriedalong to another holr er or chute which contains a pile of panels and in its passage under this chute three panels are dropped into position so that their side margins overlap the cleats. After the stock has been supplied to the form it is delivered to the ratchet mechanism above referred to which engages the rack-bar 10 and moves the form internittently forward unde the stapling mechanism which 01 crates to secure the panels to the cleats producing a. lila r such as that Y- l' T 7 shown in r 1g. 4

-1. A form of the character descr'bed comprising a rectangular frame having at its lower edge inwardly-projecting flanges adapted to support longitudinally-disposcd cleats and. panels which overlap said cleats. and means carried at the under side of said framebetwcen the side portions thereof, adapted to co-operate with propelling devices,.whercby said frame, with said cleats and panels, may be moved through a pling or s 'tching machine;

2. A form of the character described con prising a rectangular frame having at its lower edge an inwardly-projecting flange .ins thereof adapted to support longitudinally-d1sposed cleats and panels which overlap said cleats, and means carried at the under side of said frame between the side portions thereof, adapted to cooperate with propelling devices. whereby said frame, with said cleats and panels,may be. moved through a stapling or stitching machine. I i

3. A form of the character described comprising rectangular angle-iron frame having its flang iuhorizontal and vertical planes, respec being adapted to support longitudinallydis posed cleats and panels which overlap said cleat-sand vertical flanges acting as guides to position thecleats, and a longitulina-ll' 1*-oisposed rack-bar secured to the under side of said frame and adapted to cooperate 1 with propelling :devices, whereby said frame, with said cleats-and panels, may be moved through stapling or stitching machine.

4. Reform of the character described comprising a rectangular angle-iron frame adapted to support longitudinally-disposed cleats and panels which overlap said cleats, the horizontal flanges of-the frame being adapted to support said cleats and the vertinvely said horizontal flanges cal flanges acting as guides to position the cleats, reenforcing side stripsfittingiclosely against and secured to the side members of said frame, andrmeans carriedby said frame adapted to press said cleats against said side members. v

A form of the character described comprising a'rectangular frame having inwardly projecting flanges, adapted to sup- 7 port longitudinallydisposed cleats and panlongitudinally V disposed plates secured to the under side of said frame and adapted to cooperate with an els which overlap said cleats,

endless belt, and means carried by said frame whereby it "may be advanced intermittently.

6. A form of the character described comprising a rectangular angle iron frame having inwardly projecting flanges adapted to support longitudinallydisposed cleats and panels which overlap said cleats, and inwardly-projecting' U-shaped positioning strips secured to the end portions of said frame and adapted to serve also. as handles. 7; A form of the character describedoomprisi'ng a rectangular frame having means for supporting longitudinally-disposed cleats ad'acent to the side ortions thereof a crossbar carried by said frame and having heads at the end portions thereof, and springs secured to said cross-barin alinement with said heads and extending over and beyond said heads for pressing the cleats against the side portions of the frame. 7

8. A form of the character described comprising a rectangular angle iron frame hav ing'inwardly projecting flanges around the margins thereof adapted to support longi tions' oflsaid frame.

' mittently.

cleats and press them against the side cleats against the side portions of said frame. I

,10. A form of the character described comprising a rectangular frame having inwardly projecting flanges adapted to suptudinally disposed cleats, a cross-bar mountc ed on said frame, and springs alined'with and projecting beyond the end portions of said crossbar and adapted to engage the porport longitudinally-disposed'cleats and panels which overlap said cleats, longitudinallyextending plates at the under side of said frame adapted to cooperatewith atraveling belt to advance the form, and means at the under side of said frame between said plates whereby it'may be advanced inter- 11. A form of. the character described comprising a rectangular frame having v means for supporting longitudinally-dis posed cleats and panels which'overlap said I cleats, means at the under side of said frame adapted to cooperate with an endless belt to advance the frame, and a longitudinally-dis V posed rack bar at the under side of said i frame between said means whereby the frame may be advanced intermittently.

GORDON HOPKINS. 

